Historic ruins

Ruins are the remains of human-made architecture: structures that were once complete, as time went by, have fallen into a state of partial or complete disrepair, due to lack of maintenance or deliberate acts of destruction. Natural disaster, war and depopulation are the most common root causes, with many structures becoming progressively derelict over time due to long-term weathering and scavenging.

There are famous ruins all over the world, from ancient sites in China, the Indus valley and Judea to Zimbabwe in Africa, ancient Greek, Egyptian and Roman sites in the Mediterranean basin, and Incan and Mayan sites in the Americas. Ruins are of great importance to historians, archaeologists and anthropologists, whether they were once individual fortifications, places of worship, houses and utility buildings, or entire villages, towns and cities. Many ruins have become UNESCO World Heritage Sites in recent years, to identify and preserve them as areas of outstanding value to humanity.

  • 9

    Rani ki vav

    Rani ki vav is an intricately constructed stepwell situated in the town of Patan in Gujarat, India. It is located on the banks of Saraswati River. Rani ki vav was built as a memorial to an 11th century AD king.

  • 1

    Regeci Castle (Ruins)

    Regeci Castle (Ruins). The castle first appears in certificates from 1307 as possession of Amade of the Aba clan, an oligarch of Northern Hungary at the time.

  • 10

    Roman Ruins, Tipaza

    Tipasa was a colonia in Roman province Mauretania Caesariensis, nowadays called Tipaza, and located in coastal central Algeria. Since 2002, it has been declared by UNESCO a "World Heritage Site".

  • 10

    Roman Temple of Evora

    The Roman Temple of Evora, also referred to as the Templo de Diana (albeit wrongly, after Diana, the ancient Roman goddess of the moon, the hunt, and chastity) is an ancient temple in the Portuguese city of Evora (civil parish of Se e Sao Pedro).

  • 10

    Ruines of Roman Circus

    Tarragona Roman Circus is an ancient racing arena, probably built under the Emperor Domitian in the first century AD, which still contains some astonishing subterranean Roman tunnels.

  • 10

    Ruins of St. Paul's, Macau

    The Ruins of St. Paul's are the ruins of a 16th-century complex in Macau including what was originally St. Paul's College and the Church of St. Paul also known as "Mater Dei", a 17th-century Portuguese church dedicated to Saint Paul the Apostle.

  • 6

    Rytro Castle (Ruins)

    Castle in Rytro - the ruins of a medieval castle on a hill near the village of Rytro in Nowy Sacz County, Lesser Poland Voivodeship, in southern Poland.

  • 1

    Sajogalgoc Castle (Ruins)

    Sajogalgoc Castle (Ruins) near village Sajogalgoc is a village in Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County in northeastern Hungary.

  • 1

    Sajonemeti Castle (Ruins)

    Sajonemeti Castle (Ruins). The Sajonemeti castle has destroyed the castle Uppony Mountains on the northern slope near Sajonemeti is a village in Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen County in northeastern Hungary.

  • 5

    Salgo Castle (Ruins)

    Salgo Castle (Ruins). Salgo is a Hungarian stronghold near to Salgotarjan (Nograd county), 120 km from Budapest.

  • 10

    Sanchi

    The Buddhist vihara at Sanchi, famous for its Great Stupa. The Great Stupa at Sanchi is the oldest stone structure in India and was originally commissioned by the emperor Ashoka the Great in the 3rd century BCE.

  • 2

    Sanctuary of Agios Lot

    The Sanctuary of Agios Lot is located to the southeast of the Dead Sea overlooking the modern town of Safi in Jordan. It is a Byzantine era (5th - 7th Centuries AD) monastic site that consists of a basilical church erected at the entrance to a natural cave.

  • 3

    Satoraljaujhely Castle (Ruins)

    Satoraljaujhely Castle (Ruins) near Satoraljaujhely in Borsod-Abauj-Zemplen county in northern Hungary near the Slovak border. Satoraljaujhely Castle archeological site. Remains of the Castle.

  • 10

    School of Homer, Archaeological Site of Agios Athanasios, Ithaca Island

    The archaeological site of Agios Athanasios is known as School of Homer. Excavations in the area have been going on since the beginning of the 20th century, while the walls and other findings were in prominent position, long before Agios Athanasios was identified with the palace of Odysseus.

  • 5

    Seat Fortress of Suceava (Ruins)

    Suceava is the place of several medieval sites that are closely linked with the history of Principality of Moldavia. The most significant and the best preserved in time is the Seat Fortress of Suceava (Cetatea de Scaun a Sucevei) or Suceava Citadel, a medieval castle situated on the eastern edge of the contemporary city.

  • 1

    Sekhemkhet´s Pyramid Complex

    Sekhemkhet´s Pyramid Complex. King Sekhemkhet was buried beneath his step pyramid at Saqqara, diagonally across from his predecessor´s pyramid, the necropolis of King Djoser. This tomb is known today as Sekhemkhet´s pyramid, Djeserteti´s pyramid and as Buried pyramid.

  • 4

    Serednie Castle (Ruins)

    A castle of the Order of Knights Templars of 12th century ХІІ in the village of Serednie in Uzhhorod district of Transcarpathian region. Now it is in a sad plight of unmanaged ruins.

  • 4

    Shahr-e Gholghola

    Shahr-e Gholghola also is 13th century city in Bamyan, Afghanistan which was conquered by Gengis Khan after months of surrounding. The ruins still remain close to the Bamyan town.

  • 6

    Shahr-e Sukhteh

    Shahr-e Sukhteh is an archaeological site of a sizable Bronze Age urban settlement, associated with the Jiroft culture. It is located in Sistan and Baluchistan Province, the southeastern part of Iran, on the bank of the Helmand River, near the Zahedan-Zabol road.

  • 10

    Shangdu

    Shangdu, also known as Xanadu, was the capital of Kublai Khan's Yuan dynasty in China, before he decided to move his throne to the Jin dynasty capital of Zhongdu, which he renamed Khanbaliq, present-day Beijing.

  • 5

    Shivta (Ancient City)

    Shivta, is an ancient city in the Negev Desert of Israel located 43 kilometers southwest of Beersheba. Shivta was declared a UNESCO World Heritage Site in June 2005.

  • 9

    Si Satchanalai Historical Park

    The Si Satchanalai Historical Park is a historical park in Si Satchanalai district, Sukhothai Province, northern Thailand. The park covers the ruins of Si Satchanalai and Chaliang.

  • 1

    Side Portal of the Roman North Gate of CCAA

    This gate of the Roman city (Colonia Claudia Ara Agrippinensium) was built around 50 AD when the city was founded. The side portal was rebuilt above the remains of the city gate and wall in 1971.